It is known to blow steering wheels with an air stream from an air conditioning system, which stream exits from a dashboard.
It is furthermore known from DE 29802 to cool steering wheels with Peltier elements.
From DE 19735834, it is known to have air flow through a hollow steering wheel and have the air exit through holes in the steering wheel surface.
From WO 01/28842, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,230 a steering wheel is known in which a fluid is pumped through the steering wheel, a heat exchanger, and a heat storage unit in a closed circuit.
From DE 19951323, a steering wheel is known in which a heat storage means that can change the aggregate state is incorporated into the steering wheel. The teachings of DE19735834, WO01/128842, U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,230, and DE19951323 are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes.
However, cooling devices for steering wheels according to the known prior art are all limited in their effectiveness, in terms of time, are not very efficient or are almost impossible to implement technically.
What is needed is a temperature control device that conductively cools a steering wheel. It would be attractive to have a temperature control system that cools occupant contact areas so that the locations where an occupant grips a steering device are cool to the touch. What is needed is a temperature control device that is flexible and can conform to the shape of a steering wheel without read through.